PHILIPPINE STAR/IRISH LISING

A SENATOR has called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to crack down on online cockfighting, as it continues to operate despite being illegal.

In a statement on Sunday, Senator Erwin T. Tulfo, who heads the committee on Games and Amusement, said that he will invite officials from the PNP and the NBI to the panel’s next hearing to determine why online cockfighting remains active.

Mr. Tulfo added that he expects these illegal operations to be shut down by the next Senate Committee hearing.

“These do not only harm families, these also do not provide any benefit to the nation,” he said.

He also intends to invite the PNP provincial directors of Batangas and Pampanga and even the regional directors of central Luzon and Calabarzon, along with the police director of Cordillera to the next Senate hearing.

Mr. Tulfo noted that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has already requested the assistance of the agencies to shut down the operators, but no action has been taken.

“With the number of people carrying roosters inside cockfighting arenas and live video streaming happening openly, it is impossible that the police chief or provincial director doesn’t know where these operations are taking place,” he added.

All online cockfighting (e-sabong) operations were banned, according to a Duterte-era executive order in 2022, which was upheld when President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. came into power.

“If authorities truly want to shut these operations down, there are ways to do it. But if they have the blessing of police and NBI officials, this problem will become a never-ending cycle,” Mr. Tulfo said.

Separately, Manila Rep. and House Committee on Human Rights Chairman Bienvenido “Benny” M. Abante said that he is looking to invite the businessman and his business partner allegedly involved the disappearance of 34 sabungeros during its next hearing.

“Later on, we will also call him because he was charged with murder,” Mr. Abante said in a statement also on Sunday.

Mr. Abante said that his committee would like to continue its probe into the missing sabungeros, despite the ongoing investigation of other government agencies.

“I don’t know if it stopped or actually nothing happened to it yet, so we are going to continue it… This is exactly a human rights violation (issue),” he added.

The victims were accused of cheating in the blood sport widely popular in the Philippines, and their remains were reportedly dumped in the lake within the restive Taal Volcano.

The case regained national attention after a witness emerged and alleged that a gambling tycoon orchestrated the killings.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) ordered all ports to monitor the movement of two high-profile individuals tagged in the missing cockfighters case amid an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) issued by the Department of Justice (DoJ).

“We have yet to receive a copy of the order, but as a proactive measure, the Commissioner has instructed all ports to monitor their travels,” Spokesperson Dana Krizia M. Sandoval told reporters via Viber on Sunday.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla last week said an ILBO has been issued against those identified by their whistleblower Julie Patidongan.

An ILBO instructs the BI to monitor the movements of persons of interest and alert law enforcement. — Adrian H. Halili and Chloe Mari A. Hufana

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